ImpactAlpha, February 3 — Vegetable oils, including soybean, sunflower, canola and palm oil, are used to make most packaged foods and restaurant meals.
Linked to chronic diseases such as heart disease, obesity, cancer and diabetes, vegetable oils also are responsible for nearly one-fifth of tropical deforestation worldwide and contribute to global carbon emissions.
San Mateo, Calif.-based Zero Acre says its microbe-based fermentation process is able to make a healthier and more sustainable oil.
“We use this ancient technique to produce oils and fats with significantly lower levels of the bad fats that have been linked to inflammation and disease, while having a fraction of the environmental footprint,” said Zero Acre’s Jeff Nobbs.
The Series A round was led by Chris Sacca’s Lowercarbon Capital and San Francisco-based venture firm Fifty Years. S2G Ventures, Collaborative Fund, Robert Downey Jr.’s FootPrint Coalition Ventures and others also participated.
Zero Acre will use the investment to bring its product to market.
